Isolated
by annahey
Summary: From Blue Lagoon: The Awakening. Kind of AU. The same story as the movie; except they don't get back together at prom. Starts the first day of them both coming back to school. Emma is pregnant, but doesn't know it yet. Dean & Emma. Rated T, for now. - Go to deanandemma on tumblr to find out more -
1. Chapter 1

Blue Lagoon: The Awakening AU. The same story as the movie; except they don't get back together at prom. Starts the first day of them both coming back to school. Emma is pregnant.

If you want to see what the characters look like, or anything else about this story, **go to deanandemma on tumblr**

Chapter 1

_**Dean's POV**_

Coming back to school in the middle of the semester, especially after being lost in an island, was unnerving. It was strange, being stared at so much, after being ignored for so long in my high school career. After the void of human voices in the island, the sound was refreshing. The hallway was filled with curious eyes, and even listening to my ipod didn't stop people I'd never spoken to coming up to me, asking me anything about the island and what happened there.

The first day had been the worst - people saying how much they missed me and how hard it must have been for me. Everywhere I turned people whispered to their friends that I was the kid who got lost on the island with Emma Robinson, the most popular girl in school. They didn't care about me, they just wanted to know the juicy gossip before it got old.

It was getting really irritating, but the people trying to talk to me had been decreasing dramatically when I ignore them or say something rude. I was already thinking about skipping school later as I headed to History, and driving down to the beach. I just needed to get out of here, to leave the stares, and weirdly, glares. Stephen and his friends kept glaring at me, maybe they thought I was the reason I got Emma stuck on that island. As if I wanted it to happen.

It didn't help much that people were starting to think worse of me now than before considering I refused to answer their way too personal questions. At least it wasn't as bad as last week, the week Emma and I first came back to school.

I shoved my school books into my backpack, zipped it up and closed my locker shut. I pulled my hoodie up over my head and turned away from my locker, walking down the hall.

The hall was packed, yet somehow people made space for me to walk without touching people. I kept my eyes steady and my face emotionless. Some people purposely moved into my path to shove me. Clearly people had now heard that I wouldn't give them any information, so they were leaving me be. Or trying to get on my nerves, to see if I'd react.

Instead I kept my walk steady and carried on into room 204, where History was being held.

It was a normal-sized classroom, and I wasn't late, for a change, so I could choose a seat. I headed towards the back, finding comfort in almost disappearing from the wide gazes of the other students. It was almost like before I had left.

That's what my life was like now - sorted into events before and after the island. I wished one day I could remove the stigma that clouded me, as "the island boy". I dumped my books on the desk and pushed my bag under it. A song had just started on my ipod and I drummed my pencil against my books to the beat and put my feet up on the desk.

Other kids filed in, messing with their phones or talking about something that will be forgotten in a week. According to the school therapist I'm supposed to feel differently towards others, I'm supposed to run towards people, to relish a sense of community after being isolated for so long. If I'm honest, sometimes I just want to go back to the island, where everything was good and simple.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the teacher writing the title for today's lesson on the board. The classroom was almost filled now, guys and girls I never knew the name of before the island and still don't know sitting in chair all around me.

I take my feet off the table before I get reprimanded and bring more attention to myself. The teacher, Mr Walder, was a usually timid old man a few years away from retiring, and I was glad I wasn't in his position - trying to control 20 loud teenagers. Mr Walder had just started the class, but was already taking in assignments that he had tasked the class on the first week of the semester, when I was at home adjusting to life home from the island. He had been off for a family emergency last week, so this was his first class teaching me.

He was coming up my row now, and reached over toward my deak for my assignment before stopping himself.

"Oh. I'm sorry" Mr Walder said, and drew his hand back. "You weren't here in September, were you...?"

"Dean." I finished for him.

The whole class was looking at us now, some people staring, others looking startled, like they hadn't realized I was there before. I was used to people scrutinizing me whenever any attention came upon me, so I just did what I always do; ignore them and act natural.

"Ah yes. I'm Mr Walder, and I will need you to speak to me after class about the work you've missed while you were..." he struggled to find the right choice of words "...away".

"Aye aye, captain." I saluted him, and I could see a flicker of anger in his eyes as he turned back to the rest of the class.

Eyes rolling, I turned my head away, and looked out the window. This classroom had a view of the front of the school, showing the green grass covering the area before the school front doors. There were two big trees on opposite sides of the path which lead up to the school entrance, each offering shade from the sun, although people were avoiding the shade now that winter is coming. The quad was empty right now, and I lost myself in my thoughts, and random ideas.

Emma's face popped into my head, but I forced it to the back of my mind. I had tried to speak to her when we first got back, but she just kept shooting me down. I get it, now we're back home we aren't together. I was only a comfort while we were on the island, I understand. I feel the same. Now we're off the island we would have to label our relationship and be scrutinized by the whole world.

The only reason we were together in the first place is that we were the only people there, on the island. We never spoke before, we didn't even like each other before the island. Emma's friend, Lizzie, even joked about me before the trip to build the school, and before Emma and I got shipwrecked. We're in the real world now, and Emma and I don't need to stay together, I don't even want to be with her.

The thud of a dropped pencil case brought me back to reality. Back in the classroom, Mr Walder was discussing something about the cold war, but I don't think anyone was really listening. I looked outside the window again, and saw a young girl running towards the school.

I smiled to myself, watching as the girl frantically ran to avoid being even more late. She looked younger than me, clearly a freshman, with wavy brown hair and pale skin, only noticeable because nearly all the other girls here were sporting a summer tan.

The girl ran past my line of sight, but I heard the entrance door slam in the hallway outside. She was going to get yelled at, but she looked like a seasoned late-arriver.

Bored, I looked at the clock. Only fifteen minutes had passed, meaning there were still forty-five minutes left. I groaned silently to myself and started doodling on my notebook to pass the time.

My doodles stopped becoming random, and I started drawing palm trees, and mountain forms, and the outline of a jungle. I wasn't even thinking, I just drew, until I started drawing the lagoon. Our lagoon.

I was drawing every detail that I could remember, and that's when it hit me. That we're never going back. I knew, in my head, that obviously things were never going to be the same, but I hadn't spent much time thinking about it.

I was never going back to that place, not in the same conditions at least. Sure, in ten years we may go back with other people to visit the place Emma and I called home for three months, but it won't be the same. We won't be stuck on the island, forced to hunt and scavenge for our food, with only each other for comfort. Emma and I can never go back to that place.

That thought scared me, and I began rubbing out my drawing. The blue lagoon will look the same physically if we went back, but it wouldn't feel the same.

The island was not really a prison for me in the end, but, a haven. I didn't have to worry about school-work or friends or anything on the island. I always wanted to go back, but it was in the back of my mind by the last few weeks of our time on the island. It wasn't even my relationship with Emma that I longed for, it was the way we lived, how free it felt on the island.

I stopped thinking and went back to listening to the lecture, unable to stand the sound of my own voice, even just in my head.

Mr Walder was talking about Russian troops invading American land-space, when a loud knock at the door interrupted him.

"Come in." Mr Walder said in a disproving tone. Clearly he was not happy with being interrupted during his class. On the other hand, all of his students were.

The door opened, and in came the girl who I spent 3 months on an island with.

Emma walked in through the door and glanced over at the class. I looked away from her and tucked my head into my textbook. Her gaze went straight over me and she directed her attention towards the teacher.

"Sorry I'm late, I was in a meeting with the principal." Emma said, clearly uncomfortable because she was always the perfect student, and was never late.

I hadn't spoken to Emma since the night of the party Emma's parents threw for our return, when I tried to kiss her and she moved away. I've seen her in the corridor but whenever I caught her eye she'd look away. So I stopped looking for her.

Emma handed Mr Walder a note.

"Alright, Miss Robinson. Just sit down and open to page 47 please" Mr Walder replied, gesturing to the empty seat in the third row.

Emma moved to the seat and sat down. As she unpacked her backpack, Mr Walder turned around to face her again.

"Oh, and can you see me after class. I need to give you some work that you missed." Mr Walder said and then turned back to whatever he was writing on the whiteboard.

Well, I was going to have to see Emma again sometime. I guess it was going to be now.

Class ended quicker than I thought, and I reached in my bag to pack up my books slowly, knowing that I was going to have to stay behind to get my work. Everyone else filed out quickly and loudly, talking to their friends. Some girl was talking to Emma before she left. No one talked to me, but that's normal.

I swung my backpack over my shoulder and walked up to Mr Walder's desk. As I passed Emma, I saw surprise fill her eyes. Obviously she didn't know I was in this class.

We were both in-front of Mr Walder's desk now and the room was filled with a heavy silence, with everyone else having left. Finally Mr Walder finished sorting out his papers and pushed papers each of our hands.

"Alright. I know you two were stuck on an island for half a year or something, but you're back now and you need to get back to work." He said, being very frank.

"It's not like we chose to go." I retorted

"No. It's not, is it, Mr McMullen?" Mr Walder turned towards me, stone-faced, "Yet you spent weeks in a tropic paradise and missed the first few weeks of school. Sounds like you just had a long vacation. " He paused. "I'm sure the other teachers are going to be lenient towards you, but I won't. This year is too important for you. This is the year that will decide the rest of your lives, so I won't take it easy on you."

Mr Walder looked from me to Emma and back again. "I expect this work to be done by next Wednesday. I won't accept any excuses."

I groaned and grabbed my stack of papers, receiving a glare from Mr Walder as I walked out. Emma followed me out, and we walked down the now empty hallway at awkward distances from each other.

Emma walked quickly to catch-up with me, and I didn't slow my pace.

"That was weird." She said, "I mean, it's not like we wanted to stay on the island."

Emma waited for me to reply, and when I didn't she just continued, "Why does he not like us? We've only been in his lesson one day."

"Yeah." I said, not helping to contribute to the conversation.

"It's strange being back, everyone's acting differently. The cafeteria's been re-done, and there's all this stuff in the news that's been happening that we just... missed." She paused again. I stayed silent.

"Listen, Dean..." Emma started, before I interrupted her.

"Hey, I'm really sorry, but I'm supposed to be in Ms Fern's class now, and she locks the door if you're more than 10 minutes late." I said, before speed walking down the corridor and away from Emma.

_**Emma's POV**_

I watched Dean practically run down the corridor to get away from me. I sighed, and walked towards my locker. I was already exhausted and it wasn't even the end of 2nd period.

Things were so awkward between Dean and me ever since we got back. It's like we didn't know what to talk about anymore. We used to be able to talk about anything, we were so close. But now, now there's just space.

I don't even know if I want it to go back to the way things used to be. I feel as if I'm torn apart and there are two versions of me - the island Emma and the reality Emma. I'm just not sure which one I want to be yet.

I don't know how Dean fits into my life now, what we would be together, to each other. We never made anything official on the island; I could've been Dean's fuck-buddy for all I know, just something to pass the time. I think we both knew it wasn't going to continue after the island. Yet, I keep worrying about him and wondering what's going through his head.

The first few days he kept trying to talk to me, but I was confused. I didn't want to talk to him until my head was straight - that hasn't happened yet and now Dean won't talk to me.

I had to get my mind off him. We run in different circles, we hated each other when we first got on the island and we probably only stuck together because there were no other options.

I slugged my books out of my backpack and put them in my locker. I grabbed my French book and walked towards my French class. I looked at my watch, it was ten past.

Great, that means I'm late to two lessons in a row. I've never done that before, I hope it's not going to affect my already diminishing GPA. It was hard to keep academics in the high context that I did before the island, after knowing how much more there was. I mean, I always knew, everyone always told me school work wasn't life and death, but I never really understood. God, I thought I did, but the island, it didn't change me so much as make me aware of everything else there is to life.

I made it to French class and when I walked in, everyone stared at me. Just another day in reality. They're going to stop staring soon, but right now, it's the most uncomfortable thing. Everyone was just watching you like you're the shiny new toy.

I turned away from the class and towards the teacher.

"Hi, sorry I'm late, I had to pick up some work from Mr Walder." I said, trying to make this as fast as possible.

The teacher looked at me sternly before turning her attention back to the whiteboard she had previously been writing on. I stood there for a few moments before taking the hint and finding a seat somewhere.

I saw a seat free near Stephen, and I took it. Ever since I'd come back Stephen had been sweet to me and just like a friend. Apparently when I'd been gone, Stephen and my friends had became closer while I was away. Stephen and Lizzie became close, but nothing romantic, because "bros before hoes applies to girls too" according to Lizzie.

Stephen smiled at me when I sat down, and I was happy I chose this seat. While the teacher was still writing on the board, Stephen leaned over to my desk.

"That's Miss Masters. She's new here and she's a total b. Don't ever hand in a homework late or she'll eat you." He whispered in my ear, so close that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I laughed silently and caught his eyes. He stared back at me, and it was nice. It was comfortable.

"Thanks for the warning, I'll watch out." I reply, enjoying the easy friendship that came with Stephen.

The lesson continued on, and Stephen made it fun for me. Our conversation flowed naturally, and he made me laugh a few times. I could forget myself with Stephen, and got to go back to being a normal teenager again, not some girl who you saw get rescued on the news.

Stephen had another class with me, English Literature in the afternoon, but he agreed to meet me before lunch so we could go to the cafeteria together and he could show me the new layout.

My next class was Biology, and I already knew Lizzie was in this class with me. As soon as I walked in, not late for this class, thank god, Lizzie screamed and ran towards me. Lizzie had been ill all of last week, and we hadn't been able to talk before school started like we usually do. That was thanks to the meeting I had to have with the principal about how to catch-up with my school work and how to settle back into school life, which was also the meeting where he strongly recommended that I see the school therapist on a regular basis, just until i "get back in the swing of things".

"It's been forever since I spoke to you! How have your first days back been?" Lizzie asked in a blur of words.

"Ah, good. Yeah, it's been okay." I replied

"Ignore all the losers staring at you. They're just jealous they're not on the news." Lizzie said loudly, making sure the whole class heard and stopped looking at us.

Lizzie sat down in the middle row, and waited for me to sit next to her.

"Anyway" Lizzie continued, "I saw you and Stephen talking. Is that flirtationship rearing it's beautiful head again?"

"I don't think so, Lizzie. I'm pretty sure Stephen just thinks of me as a friend now." I laughed at her.

"No way. A guy like that doesn't hang around a supposedly dead, sorry Em, girl's friends if he isn't way into her." Lizzie retorted.

"Please." I reply, "Then why was he hooking up with some girl at that carnival party the night I got shipwrecked."

"Because you guys weren't an actual item. And he was drunk." Lizzie said, "Whatever, the point is, he hasn't hooked up with anyone since and you two would be perfect together."

She sounded so sure, she made me want to believe her.

"I think we'll just be friends, at least for now. He's actually coming to pick us up for lu-" I got cut off in my conversation as the teacher walked in.

"Good morning future scientists. Time to open your textbooks please. We'll be working on neurosis today." The teacher, who's name I don't know, said to the class.

I started to turn away from Lizzie but she started whispering something to me as the teacher was writing the date on the board.

"Oh, and don't think we're not going to talk about what happened on that island, Ems. I need to know what went on at island shipwreck with psycho boy." Lizzie smiled before changing her concentration to the teacher.

I understood why Lizzie said that, it was just like anything else she said, but some reason that last comment caused my chest to tighten.

When the bell rang for lunch, Stephen was waiting outside as Lizzie and I walked out the door.

"Hey Stephen." Lizzie said, "Make any girls cry today because you rejected them?"

Stephen laughed, "Not yet, but here's to hoping."

He turned to face me now as well, "Hey Emma, did you hear about this party at Tommy's?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you!" Lizzie gasped, I could see excitement flowing in her eyes.

"Um, who's Tommy?" I ask

"Tommy Greenfield. He's this super rich kid who moved here freshman year. You won't know him, he was totally unpopular until he started dating Alexis in summer and now he's totally cool. Anyway, he's throwing a rager at his house this friday while his parent's are away on a romantic getaway or something. You have to come!" Lizzie said, so ready for this to happen.

"Yeah, uh, it can be like you're comeback to reality." Stephen added.

"I don't think my parent's are going to let me go to a party the first week I get back." I say, trying to back out of it. I don't really feel like a party right now.

"Oh come on, Emma. It's going to be the party of the year." Lizzie said. "Just tell your parents you're staying at my house at come paaarty."

"Ah... I guess." I said, giving in.

"Yes!" Lizzie almost whooped.

"It's going to be great, Emma. We'll all go together, it'll be fun." Stephen's easy smile relieved me.

We walked into the cafeteria together, and I finally felt normal. I had forgotten about this, about just buying a lunch and eating it with your friends. It was so... ordinary. Just what I wanted.

We grabbed our sandwiches, paid, and headed outside to sit in the grass and try and get a better tan. Well, at least Lizzie did, I was already super brown from the island, and I'm pretty sure Stephen didn't care about getting a tan.

I wasn't exactly looking for Dean, but I couldn't see him anywhere in the cafeteria or outside anyway. It didn't matter, I wasn't worried about him, not back in the real world at least.

"So Stephanie has been totally bitchy lately and totally sucking up to Bailee." Lizzie was filling me in on all the gossip I missed.

"I liked Stephanie" I said

"Yeah, she was nice, but now she's friends with Bailee. _Bailee_." Lizzie stressed Bailee's name as if I wasn't hearing her right.

"I know, Bailee sucks. Trust me, I know that more than anyone, but Stephanie has done nothing to me." I said.

"Okay, sorry. I don't want to turn you all cynical on me! Well, it probably won't matter anyway because word is, Stephanie slept with Freddie." Lizzie looked around for our shocked faces.

"Yeah, that's the word in the locker room too." Stephen said

"No. Not Bailee's Freddie." I said. I'm not much of a gossip, but this is big. Especially seeing as Stephanie was such a good-girl last year.

"Yup. So obviously little Stephanie isn't going to be in Bailee's good graces for long anyway." Lizzie said, clearly reveling in being the bearer of such interesting gossip.

Lizzie and Stephen continued discussing Stephanie's downfall, and I started to feel a bit queasy. I clutched my stomach and looked down at my food. The meat hadn't looked that well cooked but, to be honest, I had been used to fish for so long that I didn't really judge if it was cooked enough or not.

"Um, guys." I said, starting to stand, "I don't feel so good. I think I'm going to go in now."

Lizzie and Stephen looked up to me.

"Are you okay?" Stephen asked earnestly. "Do you want us to come with you?"

"No, I'm fine. It was just some bad beef. Seriously." I said, walking away. "Just get back to your lunch."

I walk towards the cafeteria and I can hear Lizzie saying "Well, I'm not eating this now. I don't want to get food poising too" as I'm walking away, and I smile to myself.

As soon as I bin the rest of my food, my stomach surges again and I run to the bathroom. Opening the stalls, I start heaving up the lunch I just ate. After I finish vomiting, I rinse my mouth out with water and wash my hands. I watch my face in the mirror, and can see my red cheeks and unhealthy colour on my face. I look around and am glad that no one else is in the bathroom.

Splashing water on my face, I leave to go pack for my next class.

I make it through the rest of the day fairly well, not really talking in class, thankful that I only have two more classes yet, English Literature and AP Algebra. I have English Literature with Stephen, which is a relief, but I also spot Dean and I wish I wasn't in the same class with him at the moment. Algebra is fine, I don't know anyone in that class but I'm glad for it today, I feel too ill to talk anyway.

I run to the bathroom and vomit one more time before I go home to sleep. I hate food poising.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dean's POV**

I walked into the cafeteria for a second before heading straight back out. It's not that I wasn't used to having lunch on my own, hell, I preferred it, but the last few lunches were filled with people's eyes drilling holes into my back. I walked purposely away from the cafeteria and towards the library, on the other side of school.

People are rushing past me, trying to grab lunch before the big queues or trying to get the best food before it runs out. We're not allowed to go out for lunch unless we've been given special permission slips, and those are harder to come by then getting sick slips from the nurse, and she once made a kid stay in school when he was vomiting everywhere.

A couple of them glance at me as they're dashing past, but the novelty is starting to wear off now, and they probably don't have time to stop and stare. The crowd disperses quickly as I walk to the other side of the school, and I find I can hear my footsteps as my new shoes slap against the wooden floor in the hall. The shoes are just part of the 'sorry-you-got-stuck-on-an-island-on-a-trip-you-di dnt-even-want-to-go-on' presents I've been getting from my dad. The biggest gift was a huge Yamaha RD350LC motorbike, the one I'd been begging him to get me for months.

The motorbike was jet black, and had liquid-cooled two-stroke twin engines, with a speed of up to 110mph. Basically, it was at the height of motorbikes, and had the price tag to match, but that's the one thing us McMullens can deal with - money. So far I hadn't so much as taken it out of the garage, but I was thinking of taking it for a test run after school.

I turned a corner and walked out of the first building. I took a short-cut through the smoker's pit and jerked my head up 'sup' to Patrick Renner, one of the seniors who sold me weed a while back. He did the same back, and then went back to getting baked with the other stoners.

Everyone called the smoker's pit 'Hull', because of the story that says that there once was a sophomore called Benjamin Hull who was murdered in that spot a few years after the school first opened, back in the 1920s, and so the spot was called 'Hull' in his memory. There actually was a kid called Benjamin Hull who died in 1929, but whether he was murdered or not isn't said in the newspaper article, or if he even went to Jefferson High, but the seniors loved to freak out the freshman with that story anyway.

The library was just up ahead, and I sped up a bit to get there quicker, as if the library was a haven that would give me a break from my life as no one could talk to me, it wasn't just that they were too afraid to.

I opened the door to the smell of dust and cheetos, the librarian sat up ahead typing something on the office computer. The librarian was young for a librarian, in her mid-40s, and was kind-faced, although she didn't look up when I walked in.

The library was divided into different rows by the bookshelves, and some rested against the wall so it was like having a small room for each subject - fiction, history, etc.

I strode passed the librarian and made my way to the back of the library. However, when I got there, I found out that some juniors making out had already taken the last row in the library. The girl had dark hair, I think her name was Darcy, and the guy was tall and blonde, I think it was Tommy Wood. Who-ever it was, they were so invested in themselves they hadn't noticed when I almost stumbled walked into that section of the library.

I moved away from the back of the library until I found a row of bookshelves that seemed to be the most isolated. I leaned against the shelves and sank down until I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by history books.

The row was made so I was surrounded on three sides by bookshelves, and the opening faced another wall on the opposite side of the library. It was as private as possible in this school, without going to the bathroom.

I pulled my headphones out of my backpack and put them on, blasting some music that I've forgotten the name of. Then I reached back into my bag for my laptop and my lunch, although I wasn't that hungry.

I still avoided exotic fruit, the fruit we had on the island, that we spent our days collecting. We knew where every fruit tree, where to collect the best coconuts, where to go if you wanted some bananas, where the nicest tasting fish swam, and where the easiest to catch fish lived.

A memory flash of teaching Emma how to fish sprang into my head. How I had held her and guided her arms with my own, of her running into my arms when she finally caught a fish on her own. It had been so long since I had let someone in, and now I didn't have anyone. Again.

Damn it. I didn't want to be sucked into that lifestyle. This is why I stayed away from people, because I don't want to be caught up in their drama. I hated that my mind kept floating back to Emma. She was clearly exhilarated to be back with her real friends, not just someone she was forced to spend time with.

I opened my laptop to the screensaver that it came with.

Besides, it's not like we had any photos to remember the time by, no journal entries, and when we were old and our memories were gone, there would be no way to recount our time there. Our time together.

As if it never happened.

My thoughts were getting too depressing. It was only because Emma was the only person I had had a real conversation with in years. There was no other reason.

I opened the internet on my laptop and starting working on some of the homework Mr Walder had given us this morning. It was a lot, and it was going to take ages to get through it all, especially because I didn't exactly concentrate in class as it was.

I was just starting on the paper titled "What events lead up to the start of the Cold War and how could they have been stopped" when someone nearly tripped over me as they came into the history section.

A guy with brown hair and pale skin straightened up and tried to say something that I couldn't hear because of my headphones. Then he just stood there, looking nervous. He was skinny and had clothes on that gave the impression that he played chess with his mum on Saturdays.

I took off my headphones and said, "What do you want?".

The guy looked dumbfounded and said, "Sorry, I'll leave" and headed away.

"Wait. Sorry." I said before he could leave, "That was rude. The library's for everyone."

The guy looked like he didn't know what to do. I wasn't really sure either, I didn't have any guy friends.

After a pause, I said, "Hey man, I'm Dean." And held out my hand.

My arm hung there for a second before the guy got the confidence to shake it.

"Hey, I'm Arthur." He said, and then just stood there.

"So what are you doing in the library at lunch?" I asked him

"Oh, uh, just getting a book for class." He replied

"Oh yeah, whi-" I started before Arthur interrupted me.

"Are you the kid who got stuck on the island?" He spat out in one breath, his hands holding on to his backpack straps as if they were life itself.

Arthur gulped, and waited for me to reply while I stared at him for a second, processing what he said.

"Um, yeah." I replied.

"That's so cool. Do you mind if I interview for the school newspaper?" Arthur asked.

"Kinda. I don't really have anything to say." I replied.

Arthur looked really disappointed, but he didn't leave. He looked like he was going to try and ask me more questions about the island, but my expression must have shut him up.

"So, uh, what are you doing in the library at lunchtime?" He asked me.

"Just some homework. Mr Walder gave me loads of work to make up for the time I missed, but I don't know anything about the Cold War." I said with a shrug.

"Oh, I do." Arthur said, "I can tutor you, if you want. $15 an hour, though."

I thought about it, I mean, I had never thought about getting a tutor before, but Arthur seemed smart enough, and he wouldn't be condescending.

"Yeah, that'd be great." I said

"We can get started now." He said, and I grabbed my stuff and we made our way to one of the tables in the library, with Arthur grabbing the book for class as he did.

Half an hour later, I had done my essay and actually enjoyed my tutor session. Arthur was actually a nice guy, if geeky, and I could see us becoming friends.

Arthur was telling me about the Warsaw Pact when a girl walked past our desk and Arthur's attention went with her. She had dark hair and for a second I thought she was the girl who I had seen making-out with Tommy earlier, but she was wearing different clothes.

"Hello? Arthur?" I said, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh, um, where were we?" He said, his eyes back on the textbook.

"Well you were just staring at that girl's ass. Why don't you ask her out?" I said.

Arthur went bright red and mumbled something.

"What?" I asked

"I can't. God, she'd never go out with me." He said

"Stop being a pussy, Arthur." I said.

I looked over to her, and saw her trying to get some books from the top shelve.

"Look, she's over there struggling for some books. Go and help her." I said, but Arthur just shook his head.

"Come on! She's going to leave in a sec." I urged him, but he just said no again.

I didn't know why it was so important to me. Suddenly I just needed Arthur to get the girl, for Arthur to take a risk and succeed.

"If you won't go talk to her, I will." I said, my voice low so she wouldn't hear us.

Arthur looked terrified. "No, no, don't, please."

"Then you go." I said, but he just diverted his eyes and stared holes into the table.

"Alright" I said, and stood up, moving the chair out of my way.

"Wait, Dean. No." Arthur cried as loudly as he could without drawing her attention.

I walked over to her. She stood with her back to me, reaching up, trying to grab a book on the top shelf that was too high for half the student body to reach, herself included. Luckily I was tall, so it was easy for me to reach.

I came up behind her, and then said "Do you need any help with that?".

She turned around and I saw her face for the first time. It was the girl I had seen run into school, late for first period this morning.

"I've got it." She said, her eyes uninviting.

"Oh sorry, my bad. It's just you've been struggling to get that book for like ten minutes now, but sure, you've got it." I said, laughter playing in my eyes.

She tried one more time before backing down.

"Fine. I guess you can." She said.

"Anyone here would think I was hurting you, not offering you a favour." I smirked at her.

"I just don't like needing help, okay?" She replied, snatching the book out of my hand.

"Okay. I get it. I was just trying to be nice." I said

"Oh, you weren't trying to hit on me?" She said, as if she knew I was. "I'm a freshman, not an idiot."

"Actually, my friend's the one who wants to get to know you." I said pointing to Arthur, who ducked down when he saw us looking at him.

"Oh." She said, her voice softer now.

"Well, why didn't he come talk to me himself." She asked.

"I think he was nervous." I replied, and then looked back at her, "And with good reason. God you are scary mean."

She smiled a little smile then, and said, "Sorry, it's been a bad day. A lot of drama, you know?"

I laughed and said, "Yeah, I get it. Can I introduce you to my friend, um, I actually don't know your name."

She smiled and stuck out her hand. I shook it and she said, "I'm Rowan. I know, it's weird, but my parents were really into old, like really old, names. I'm pretty sure it's actually a boy's name anyway."

"Nice to meet you, Rowan. I'm Dean, Dean McMullen." I replied, "And that's my friend Arthur." I pointed to where Arthur was still sitting.

"Nice to meet you too, but I actually need to be somewhere, like, five minutes ago. Tell your friend I'll see him tonight, at Tommy's party." Rowan said, picking up the rest of her books from the floor. "You guys are going, right?"

I looked at her and smiled, "Of course." And then I watched her leave.

I guess we were going to a party tonight.

**Emma's POV**

When I got home it was silent. My mum was out somewhere, I think she told me this morning but I wasn't listening. Usually I loved talking to my mum, but I didn't know what to say anymore. She was so careful with me now, acting as if I was a china doll and could break at any moment. Always monitoring what she said.

I didn't help. I hadn't told anyone what really happened on the island, with Dean and me. It was just too painful and confusing. The island was another world, one I couldn't really describe to anyone.

"Hello?" I called out into the empty kitchen as I shrugged my backpack off, knowing that there would probably be no answer.

I poured myself a bowl of cereal and looked over the job ads in the local paper. Recently I wanted something to keep me busy, and I was worried about costs for college.

My parents had spent a lot of money on looking for me, even with Dean's dad's help, leaving less left in my college fund. Plus we'd always assumed I would get a scholarship to help me fund my way through college, but my 'vacation' on the island had left me behind in my classes and it would take a lot more work to get me back on track.

I sighed, flicking through more jobs that I was either under-qualified for or that were too far away for me to be able to get there and back and still have time for school work in the evenings.

I clicked on the machine, and there were a couple messages. Some were from neighbours inviting us to a barbeque or asking for favours and one was from some TV news show, asking to interview me about my time on the island.

God. I didn't even want to think about the island anymore, nevertheless talk about it on national TV.

I heard a creak as someone walked down the stairs into the hallway.

"Mum?" I called, thinking she had gotten home from her meeting already.

"Nope. Just me." Came the reply as my sister Stacey walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

Ever since I had gotten back Stacey seemed to be angry at me all the time, and whenever I tried to talk to her about it she always brushed me off. And now it was getting me angry.

"What's up, Stacey? Do you actually want to talk to me today? Or are you just going to ignore me again?" I asked angrily.

"Not everything's about _you_, Emma." She replied.

"Shut up, Stacey. Why don't you get off your high horse and have a real conversation with me for once. You've been pissed at me ever since I got back. What is your deal?" I snapped

"Nothing. Anyway, I've got homework to do." Stacey said, storming off.

Suddenly I felt really guilty.

"Stacey, wait. I'm sorry." I called after her. "Stacey!"

But all that came from me was the slam of her bedroom door. I sighed, and looked down at my now-soggy cereal. I got up and put the cereal in the sink, thinking to myself that I would clean it later, and started on my college applications, which were a lot of work.

I was in the middle of writing my common app essay, which was going as well as trying to stop remembering something embarrassing, when my phone rang.

"Hey Lizzie" I said, seeing her name come up on the caller ID.

"Wassup bitch? I'm waiting outside your house, so come and let me in!" Lizzie screamed down the phone.

"Coming" I said, running towards the front door with my phone still at my ear.

I opened the door and Lizzie said "Hey!" so that it had 3 syllables before hugging me.

"You know you could've just rang the doorbell like a normal person." I laughed as Lizzie took her shoes off.

"Yeah, but then it could've been your moody sister to open the door, and besides, this was more fun."

Lizzie grabbed my arm and pulled me upstairs, knowing my house as well as she knew her own. She rammed open the door to my room and then let go of my arm as she jumped down on my bed.

"So?" She asked

"So what?" I replied, looking at her in a funny way.

"So what the hell happened on that island?" She asked. "We haven't had a single moment to talk about it and I've been _dying_!"

I laughed and sat down at my desk. I wanted to tell Lizzie about Dean, but I didn't know what I would say. I didn't even know what our relationship really was, or even if it could be called a relationship.

In the end I decided not to tell her, I figured that there was nothing to tell.

I told Lizzie about how we scavenged for food, and the lagoon and Dean fighting off the jaguar, all the while minding my tone and trying not to sound too happy when I retold stories with Dean in them, even though I knew it was just me looking back on it and thinking it was better than it was at the time, thinking I was happier than I really was then.

"So you and Dean, do you like him now? Are you like friends?" Lizzie asked, looking at me quizzically.

"Um, I don't know. I don't think so. I think we just needed each other for the island. That's all" I said, feeling relieved.

"Good, because he gives off this weird vibe to me. I know, he's hot, in that I'm-such-a-rebel kind-of way, but I don't trust him. Besides, you don't need anymore friends, you've got me." Lizzie paused, "And Stephen, who, hello, has been dying to talk to you recently."

"Why do you care so much about me and Stephen, anyway?" I asked

"I'm just trying to be a friend." Lizzie said, smiling. "You know, you haven't really been here in months, which, I know, is totally not your fault, but it happened, Ems. And we moved on, life moved on, and now you're back but you're not really back. It's not the same as before. I just thought, you know, if you got together with Stephen it would fix it."

"Fix what? Am I not good enough to be your friend anymore?" I asked, suddenly angry. I didn't know why my mood was changing so quickly.

"No. No, god, Ems. It's not like that. It's just you've kind of been stuck in your own head the last few days, and we just want to see you back to your old self. We miss you." Lizzie replied.

I felt bad for snapping, and said "Sorry, Lizzie. It's just been hard, re-adjusting."

"That's cool. Just know I'm here for you, you can talk to me." Lizzie says, and then her mood changes and she suddenly becomes really excitable.

"Are you ready for Tommy's party? What are you going to wear?" She asks.

Tommy's party is in 2 hours and I still haven't decided if I really want to go, but after that with Lizzie, I know I have to. I don't want to be left alone, on the outside, watching my friends move on without me.

I shrug and walk over to my cupboard, reaching in and producing three of my nicest dresses, two of which Lizzie bought me so I know she would approve of them.

"Wear the blue one that's so dark it's nearly black." Lizzie says after eyeing the dresses up. "It will match your black shoes better."

"I didn't tell you what shoes I was wearing." I reply.

"Come on. You know you were going to wear them, I know you too well. Plus you only have, like, 3 pairs of shoes." Lizzie smiles.

We get ready together, which takes an hour and a half with Lizzie running around getting all her stuff out of her bag, listening to Stacey's muffled angsty-teenager music which makes me want to go yell at her but I can't because we're already on thin ice as it is.

"Ready?" Lizzie asks me at 10:12pm, when the party has already been happening for a good hour.

I look in the reflection one more time. I'm wearing the dress Lizzie told me to, which is way shorter than I remember. Lizzie says I shouldn't be that worried because I was walking around half-naked on the island all the time and that "Lonely boy was probably scoping you out all the time with his freaky eyes." Before shivering and going "ugh"; but that was different. That was just Dean and me, there was no one else around. It was comfortable.

My hair is left down around my shoulders and my make-up, including my eyebrows, has been done by Lizzie so I look wide-eyed all the time, but in a good way.

Lizzie calls me from downstairs one more time and I run down the stairs.

We head into Lizzie's car after I write a note for my mum saying where I am, so she doesn't freak out when she gets home.

I sit down next to Lizzie and she says, "Time for you to really come back to civilization."

Then we drive off towards the rich side of town, where Tommy lives.

_**Sorry, I know, there was no Dean x Emma interaction in this chapter but this was needed I swear. Dean and Emma will see each other in the next chapter (at Tommy's party) and something will happen. Just bear with me guys!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Dean's POV**

It was only after I had left school that I actually thought about going to the party. I had always avoided social interaction and now I was thrusting myself into a house filled with drunk kids trying to run away from their non-existent problems by making bad decisions.

I tried to call it off, but Arthur was so excited about it. When I tried to back out of going, Arthur freaked out and started a rant saying he couldn't go unless I went because he would have no one and Rowan only spoke to me and he needed me for bro support. Plus Arthur didn't know his address, whereas Tommy's dad and my dad were golfing friends so I've been to their house a couple of times for neighborhood barbeques.

I guess if I was going to be stared at, it might as well be on my own terms. At least, that's what I told myself as I rode my skateboard the few blocks to Tommy's house.

The streets were quiet now, the streetlights were on although it wasn't that dark yet. The roads were basically empty coming up to Tommy's house, until about a block away, where you could hear the music pumping out all the way down the street and cars of people from my school and the neighboring ones were swarming into the party.

I sped up, and then stopped a house before Tommy's. I picked up my skateboard and chucked it into one of the neighbour's front yards before I walked the remaining 10 steps to Tommy's front door. I rang the doorbell and a girl answered it, who I immediately recognized to be Tommy's sister, Hannah.

Hannah was Tommy's little sister, about to be 15, and he was very protective of her, and for good reason. She was wearing a dress that barely covered anything, it was black and tight in all the right places for me, and all the wrong places for her brother.

"Come in" She said with an easy smile, opening the door to me. Her breath smelt like cheap vodka and her eyes were inviting. I followed her into the hallway where people were running up and down the stairs, huddled into every corner of the house. I think Tommy had invited the whole school, or someone had because there were loads of people here.

"So" Hannah said as she stopped in the living room and turned back towards me, "How do you know Tommy? Or are you just another freeloader."

"No, um, I know Tommy. I know you, as well, Hannah." I said, smiling up at her.

Hannah studied me for a moment before recognition shone in her eyes.

"Oh my god. Dean? Dean MacMullen?" She squealed.

"Yeah, actually it's McMullen bu-" I was cut off as Hannah squeezed me into a hug. "Oh, okay, we're hugging now."

"Oh, sorry." Hannah said, letting go of me. "It's just been so long, and I was happy to actually recognize someone here. Not that I recognized you straight away. But whatever."

"So what have you been up to?" I said, trying to make small talk while looking for Arthur, who texted me that he was here ten minutes ago.

"I actually just started school. I go to Jefferson High, do you go there? Or are you at Lincoln or one of the others?" Hannah asked

"No, I go to Jefferson, just like you." I replied, my eyes scanning the room still looking for Arthur. Hannah started talking about something else, some gossip I think about a girl in her year, when I saw Emma walk in with some of her friends.

I completely tuned out Hannah at this point and kept searching for Arthur, but my eyes kept trailing back to Emma. She looked amazing and I had to really concentrate to pretend to be listening to Hannah. I didn't mean to be rude, it's just my mind was on other things.

My gaze had trailed back to Emma when she looked over and caught my gaze. Time seemed to slow as we watched each other, just for a few seconds. Her hair was let down loosely so a few strands lingered over her eyes. I had an urge to push the hair back over her ears, like I used to on the island.

Emma smiled at me; a small, sweet smile, and I started to smile back. Maybe, I thought, we could at least be friends.

Then a shout from across the room pulls my attention and out stepped Stephen Sullivan, the guy Emma liked last year.

And maybe not, I thought.

Stephen ran over to Emma and gave her a hug.

I looked back to Hannah who was still talking, blissfully unaware that I was no longer a part of the conversation. Hannah was pretty, and content with talking to some guy she barely knows.

Before I could help myself, I snuck a quick glance back at Emma. Emma was smiling at Stephen as they embraced, a brilliant bright smile that turned quickly into a laugh. She caught my eyes as she was hugging Stephen, his back to me, and her smile turned sad, as if she realized that's we would never experience a hug like that together, or anything like that. All we had now was a smile from across the room, something that was acceptable to share with a stranger you passed on a street and never saw again.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Are you okay? I'm not boring you, am I?" Hannah asked earnestly. Suddenly I felt guilty. Hannah was being nice to me, something rare nowadays, and I was totally ignoring her.

"Of course not." I shot her an easy smile. Her face lit up in relief.

"Oh. Good." She said, suddenly shy.

The doorbell rang and Hannah almost jumped.

"Oh sorry, got to go." Hannah said pointing towards the door. "I'm on door duty. It's, like, the only reason I'm allowed to downstairs."

I waved bye to her and looked for a spot to disappear into. I wanted to go to the kitchen, the most obvious place to hide out, but I had a feeling that post was already filled by the way of the group of girls walking in there now. I checked my watch. It was 10:30.

Where was Arthur? God, he was practically crying for me to come in his texts and now he wasn't anywhere. Did he leave already?

I texted Arthur asking him where he was and then I slumped my head against the wall. The only reason I came to this stupid party was for him. Well, him, and to show people I wasn't running away from anything, that I could face their stares.

No one really noticed me from my position, too occupied in their own lives, I guess. This was where I belonged, on the sidelines, watching and waiting. I could see Alexis Dunphy across the room with Bailee Haynes, laughing about something or, most likely, someone. Patrick Renner was off to one side, smoking a joint with some of his buddies, a group of freshman girls were standing near them, giggling and trying to get their attention.

There were so many people crammed into the house, so many different lives, each with their own issues and dramas. A sense of sonder filled me and yet, all I could think about was one girl and how her life was going, how she was moving on without me so easily when everyday I had to remind myself not to think about her.

Emma was nowhere to be seen and for that I was glad. I couldn't stand watching her pity me any longer.

I stood like that for a few moments before I heard the buzzing of my phone. It was a text from Arthur.

"I'm iutside! WHerr are yoo?" the text read. Clearly Arthur was drunk. He probably only got so drunk because he hadn't ever had a drink before so he didn't know his limit.

I walked towards the doors leading to the garden, and looked around in the dark, searching for Arthur.

**Emma's POV**

The party was in full swing, and there were bodies pressed against each other in every room. Including this one, where some sweaty couple tried to make out against my back before I pushed them off. Lizzie was next to me, the beer sloshing out of her cup as she danced. I had a coke in my cup, one of the conditions on me coming out was that I wasn't going to drink.

My parents thought I was at a sleepover with Lizzie, but they still thought of her as a 'bad influence' and told me that if Lizzie bought some alcohol to the sleepover that I was supposed to refuse it. I already felt guilty enough about lying to my parents about the party; I thought I should obey the only thing they asked of me.

Lizzie and I had arrived an hour ago, with the rest of the girls, Helen and Jude, arriving ten minutes later. It was harder and harder finding my place in my own clique again, so much had happened without me, so many inside jokes that I wasn't a part of.

My counselor said it would get easier with time, that I just had to keep trying. Unfortunately trying was hard and I was tired of it. I just wanted to go back to my old life.

Seeing Dean earlier had shaken me up. What was he doing here? He never came to parties like this. Was he trying to say something to me?

I didn't want him here. This wasn't like it was before. But Tommy had invited the whole class, and I felt guilty about being annoyed at Dean. It wasn't really him I was angry at; it was myself, the fact that I was the odd one out in my group now. It was just easier to relay my feelings to someone other than myself.

I was angry at the island for taking me away from my friends, for making me have to catch-up in school, for making me behind on my deadlines. I hated it for making my parents act as if I was made of china and that I would break at any moment. But, mostly, I hated it for giving me these feelings that I couldn't make sense of, and for making me feel happy, for making me feel good and free on the island when I should have been wanting to come home with all of my soul, not just part of it.

I had put some research into it, but the only thing close I could find was Stockholm syndrome, where someone who had been kidnapped bonded with their kidnapper. Except, in my case, the kidnapper was an island. It was ridiculous even to myself, and worse, I was pushing this anger on Dean.

I needed to clear my head.

"I'm going to get a drink" I half-shouted to Lizzie, trying to get her to hear me over the thundering music.

"What?" Lizzie shouted back, with a giddy smile.

I mimed drinking, using my now-empty cup, to her and started pushing my way through the crowd, ducking and sliding through the mass of bodies cramped into the small space. As I got closer to the kitchen, the space became less cramped, and I was able to walk through the passage to the kitchen like a normal person.

The kitchen was relatively clean for a party, with, surprisingly, nothing liquid spilt on the floor. It had an island in the middle of the room, where the drinks and snacks were and, behind that, was the fridge, sink and the cabinets. There were a few girls talking over the crisps on the kitchen island, wearing slutty dresses, the kind that came up to only just below their vaginas.

There was a boy standing on the side of the counter, clutching his head and moaning while his friend rifled through the fridge. There was some blood trailing down the boy's head from some wound underneath his hand, and he was yelling at his friend to hurry up, although he slurred his words drunkenly so it sounded like he was calling for his friend to "curry op".

I made my way to the opposite side of the island as to where the girls were standing; using the already open huge bottle of coke to pour some more drink into my cup. As I was holding the bottle over my cup, the hurt boy's friend closed the fridge door, hand grasping a bad of frozen baby carrots, and turned so I could see his face.

"_Dean_." I said almost subconsciously. The coke bottle slipped out of my grip and I grabbed it before it fell to the floor, but the damage was already done. The coke poured out of the bottle's mouth, spilling all over the floor. The girls from the other side of the island laughed, that drunk mean-girl laugh, before leaving the kitchen together, one of them yelling "Moron!" as they left.

Dean looked up at me, bewilderment mirroring my own at seeing each other. I don't know why we were so surprised. I mean, we had seen each other at this party earlier. I guess it was because then there had been a hundred people between us and it was in a loud and very public place. Now it was so much more secluded, and I hadn't had time to mentally prepare. We were so close, I could take one step and I would be close enough to kiss him.

"Shit." I said, placing the coke bottle next to my cup on the island and looking down at the mess I had made. There goes that clean kitchen.

I shot down, grabbing a handful of napkins as I went to fix the mess I made.

"Here, let me" Dean said, finding a roll of paper towels on the counter. He crouched down next to me. I had started dabbing at the soda with my napkins but it wasn't really helping. I pulled all the wet napkins into a pile. Dean ripped off a handful of paper towels and handed them to me, before ripping off some of his own.

The music was still pumping in the background but the space between us felt silent as we got to work, filled with all the things we weren't saying. We were so close that I could smell the vodka on his breath. I watched his hands as they tried to get the last of the coke off the floor, then my vision trailed up his body until I dared myself to look at his eyes.

Dean was concentrating on the work at hand, staring a hole into the paper towels as he cleaned up my mess. I had forgotten how attractive he was.

Startled at myself, I swiftly looked away. I stood up and, holding the pile of dripping paper towels in one hand, I looked around the kitchen for the bin. Finding it, I dropped the paper towels in, and turned back towards the sink.

"Crap." I cried out, jumping back from Dean's looming presence right in front of me. I hadn't even heard him stand up.

"Sorry." He shrugged, with a tone that suggested he wasn't sorry at all. He leaned his arm around me and put his pile of paper towels in the bin before turning away from me to go wash his hands in the sink.

My body felt deflated once Dean's body left the close proximity of mine. My heart was thumping in my chest and my body was longing for his. I hated that my body was betraying me, that it wanted Dean when I knew it wasn't right.

Still, I followed Dean to the sink, not wanting him to think I was going to wait for him to be done before washing the sticky coke residue off my own hands. I didn't want him to think that he had the upper hand, that I couldn't even wash my hands in the same sink as him.

He smirked slightly when I came up next to him, such a small one that I wasn't sure if I had actually seen it or not. I reached for the soap but it slipped from my hands. Dean grabbed it before it hit the bottom of the sink and said, "Here, let me. You are clearly too drunk to hold anything." and reached out for one of my hands.

"I'm not drunk." I protested moving my hands away from his, but he took hold of my hand anyway. My mouth was on the brink of exclaiming another protest but when he held my hand I just couldn't. My body sparked at his touch, as if he was water and I was dying of thirst. It had been so long since I'd even been this close to Dean.

Dean washed my hands carefully, taking his time, going through all of my fingers. This version of him was so far removed from the grouchy, stiff Dean I had seen just moments ago. I think he wanted to make it last as long as possible. So did I.

It was as if there was a fog on my mind. All I could think about was his touch, even though it was just on my hands. When he let my hands go, my face fell, and I looked away from him, too afraid that my face would reveal everything to him. I didn't want him in my life. It was just too complicated, too messy.

I could feel Dean's eyes on me and I was glad that my hair mostly covered my face. There was a soap bubble in the sink, and I gave it all my attention, willing Dean to leave and go attend to his friend, who had now passed out on the island.

Suddenly, Dean's hands were back. They raked the hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ears.

I looked up at him, vulnerable and unsure what to do. I hated that he could make me feel this way, but, mostly, I hated that I didn't hate that I felt this way with him.

"I've been wanting to do that all evening." He said, so quietly I wasn't sure if it was to me or to himself.

I looked down, my face brightening at the attention, but I pushed it away.

"Go away, Dean." I whispered, unable to make the words any louder, forcing myself to think clearly again. Half of me was screaming not to push him away, but I forced those emotions down.

Dean heard me, because he hands suddenly stopped and left my face.

I looked up and saw Dean's eyes staring into mine.

"No" He said, quietly and calmly.

Dean caught me off guard. He couldn't say that. No. No. I wanted him to go.

But I just stayed still, staring back at him, my eyes swirling with all my emotions. Dean took that as an acceptance and grabbed my waist, hauling me up onto the counter.

We watched each other for a moment, before he swooped in and kissed me. My mouth opened at his touch and his tongue found mine. His tongue massaged mine, and I kissed him back. I twisted my legs around his back to pull him closer. My body ached for this, for him.

The kiss deepened, and I moaned into his mouth. His hands were everywhere, touching me as if he had forgotten and was trying to remember. My hand came up to grasp his hair and Dean pulled me closer.

My mind was foggy, and I all I could think about was this moment, being here with Dean.

The kiss was electric, my whole body was responding to his, moving with him as he repositioned himself so he could fit closer to my body. We were pressed against each other, our tongues twisted together. His tongue tasted of vodka and cherries, and his tongue felt different and familiar all at the same time. I wanted to stay in that moment forever.

Then someone in another room yelled "Stephen!" and I was pulled out of my trance so fast it was as if I had just been slapped. My eyes opened and I pushed Dean away from me as hard as I could, using all the strength I had in my arms.

Dean stumbled before holding on to the island for support, confusion filling his eyes as the lust left them.

"I told you no, Dean." I jumped down from the counter and slapped him right across the face. I was angry and ashamed at myself for giving in to him, for letting myself be taken away, especially with Stephen just outside. I mean, it wasn't as if we were officially dating, but I still couldn't do this to him.

"But I…" Dean started, sounding apologetic.

"No, Dean." I said, my face empty of emotions. "I'm sorry, but, please, just leave me alone. I don't want you anymore. You don't fit in my life."

I tried to feel glad that I had finally made a decision on the Dean front, but I now felt hollow inside.

Looking up at Dean's stormy expression, the knots in my stomach tightened, and I felt uneasy. I wanted to take back my last remark. I wanted him to come and kiss me again and say something, anything, which could make me change my mind.

Dean's expression changed, like he had put a wall between me and his emotions. His face showed me nothing; I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Fine. Sorry I acted that way." He said, as plainly as if he was telling me the weather, "Don't worry. It will _never_ happen again."

I wanted to kick the wall. I wanted to run up to him and apologize and tell him that we could be together.

But I didn't. I just stood there and watched him leave.

I felt myself sinking with every step he took away from me, but I couldn't make myself move. My feet were stuck in their position and it was only after Dean's friend grunted in his sleep, after moments of the door shutting after Dean left, that I managed to walk away and leave the disaster that seemed to remain in the air of the kitchen.

**Dean's POV**

I knew I shouldn't have. I knew I should've walked away when she told me to, but I couldn't. I don't know why, but I had to stay, I had to stay with her a bit longer.

I was desperately grasping at the fragile ends of our relationship and coming out with noting more than a few pieces of ruined moments.

God. I had been so stupid. I _knew_. I had seen her, happy with her new life. She had moved on. I guess I just hadn't wanted to believe it.

Well, there was no choice now.

I had always thought, in some small part of me, that she was just waiting for me. When I kissed her, she kissed me back. I felt her lean in, her legs wrap around me.

Maybe I was drunk. Maybe I had misread the signals. I had only had one cup of vodka mixed with cherryade, but maybe those months on the island had made me a lightweight.

I was so stupid. How could I ever think she wanted to get back with me? Why, when she had this perfect life? She wouldn't.

A twinge of guilt grabbed me as I remembered that I left Arthur in there. I hoped his head was ok. He had tripped over his own feet and smacked his head against the concrete of the sidewalk in front of Tommy's house. He hadn't been able to find Rowan, and had gotten himself wasted thinking she stood him up. She actually hadn't, but by the time we spotted her Arthur was already really drunk and bleeding, so we went in the opposite direction and towards the kitchen.

But I just couldn't go back in that room to retrieve him, I couldn't face Emma.

She had said no. Why hadn't I just listened?

I was so frustrated with myself. I grabbed another beer off the counter and chugged it as fast as possible, wanting the memories of tonight to become a distant blur.

I spent the next portion of the night like this, drinking as much as I could, more when I saw Emma getting chummy with Stephen.

Didn't he cheat on her at the carnival all those months ago? It seemed like a lifetime ago now, but it still counted, right?

I looked away from them and walked out of the room they were in. In this room, I stood to the side again, looking out to see if there were any more drinks left. I wasn't drunk yet, just tipsy enough that it took me a second to recognize people's faces.

Someone was laughing too loudly in the middle of the room. Someone else was near me, freaking out to a friend that they had heard someone, a neighbour he thinks, call the police. Another girl was yelling for a twerk competition to happen, which no one responded to.

That's when I saw Patrick cornering some girl, small with blonde hair, most likely a freshman, who was drunk out of her mind. Patrick had her positioned so her face was covered by his back, and you could tell he was trying to get with her, or, more likely, in her.

She kept repeating that she just wanted to go to sleep, that she wanted to go to bed. Patrick was agreeing, saying yeah, I'll take you to bed. The girl seemed to be trying to push him away, but Patrick wasn't backing down.

I looked around, but no one except for Patrick's sleazy friends, who were just egging him on, seemed to notice or care.

"Oh, I'm going to regret this." I said, before downing the rest of my drink and heading over to Patrick and the girl. Patrick had always been good to me, but I couldn't just stand by and watch this happen. I had some morals.

"Hey, Patrick" I said, shaking his shoulder. "Hey, man, it's cool, I'll take her home."

Patrick glared at me and shrugged my arm off his shoulder. "Dude, leave. She's mine." He said, before turning back to the girl.

"Patrick, come on. She's drunk out of her mind. Let me walk her home." I said again. At this point I could see her face and I recognized Hannah Greenfield, the girl who had been so welcoming at the start of the party.

"Are we going to have a problem here, Dean?" Patrick turned to face me, standing up straight showing off his huge frame. As if I needed a reminder.

"Listen, just leave her alone." I said, ignoring his question and trying to look as if this was all one big joke, "I mean, I wouldn't want her to puke all over you, which it looks like she's going to do."

I reached an arm out to hold the girl but Patrick pushed it away.

A crowd had started to gather around us, drunk eyes stalking our every move, eager for a fight to break out.

"I'm not going to leave her alone." Patrick said, his voice low and threatening.

"Okay, okay." I said, putting my hands up as a sign for backing down.

Then, as Patrick turned to go corner the girl again, I punched him square in the jaw as hard as I could. If it wasn't Hannah, if it wasn't someone I knew, I'm not sure I wouldv'e done it. But it was Hannah, and I couldn't just leave her there.

There was a sudden silence in the room, a pause that seemed to last a thousand seconds instead of one.

Patrick's hand went to his face, before anger filled his eyes and he formed a fist with his own hand to punch me back, right in the face.

The blow made me stumble back, and my hesitation got me another punch, in the stomach this time.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The line chorused from behind me, the crowd having grown three times in size.

I was losing this fight, but I could still bring it back. Patrick swung toward me again, but this time I ducked, and I rammed into his chest, knocking him against the wall.

I kicked up my knee to try and knee him in the groin, but he was too fast and he grabbed my knee before I could hurt him. He twisted my leg and forced me to twist my body with it, making me leave my back to Patrick.

Patrick took this opportunity to kick me in the back, as hard as he could. I tumbled forward, falling against the crowd and knocking some of their phones to the ground, phones which they were holding up to record this fight.

Patrick laughed behind me, and said "You should back down now island boy. Before I really hurt you."

The crowd cheered with him, and I turned around and punched him again, winding him. I had become so much stronger and faster on the island, and I was done holding back.

Patrick got back up and took a swing at me again. I ducked, but a little too late, and Patrick caught the side of my eye. It hurt like hell, but I kept going.

Patrick and I fought like this for a few more moments, more or less on equal grounds with each other. In the background I could see the crowd thinning out, but I was too concentrated on the fight. I didn't even know the police had arrived until one of them was pulling me off Patrick.

"Alright. That's enough, sons. It's over!" Another policeman was holding Patrick down, while a policewoman stood in between us, yelling at us over the music.

Someone in the back turned off the music. Now the policewoman could speak at a normal volume, she started reading off our rights to us.

"What are you doing?" Patrick yelled over the policewoman's speech, that she spoke in a bored tone.

"Why are you reading us our rights? We're not going to prison!" He yelled.

"Oh, but you are, boy. This right here, this is assault, and it's a criminal offense. You'll both be in the slammer tonight." The policeman holding Patrick made no attempt to hide the glee in his voice.

The policewoman finished reading us our rights and then the policemen handcuffed our hands behind out backs. As this was happening, the flashes of pictures being taken of us came in their hundreds.

The crowd was laughing, and taking pictures of us in our best angle I'm sure. I can't wait to see this picture in the yearbook.

My skateboard was still in Tommy's neighbour's yard, and I wanted to call out for someone to go get it, but I had a feeling whoever went to go get it would never bring it back.

As we were walked out I thought I saw Emma watching me, an expression I couldn't read on her face, but when I turned to look at her, she had already disappeared into the crowd.

**I know, I did Dean's POV twice. Sorry! I just thought that this chapter needed it. Well I hope you liked this chapter. I'll update by Halloween so stay posted peeps!**


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